Katz also indicated he does not agree with Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf about who the better QB is, and seemed puzzled that he was basically given just two quarters against Sacramento State to prove that he should keep his job.

When a younger player supplants a veteran, said Riley, “it is a really touchy thing. I don’t like going through it. It’s no fun for us, it’s no fun for the quarterback.

"I have a lot of respect for Ryan. I think he’s a great young man and a very good quarterback.

"But I saw this thing coming in the spring, it was confirmed in camp, and I was the one that went to Danny Langsdorf and said, 'Danny we need to play this kid in these early games' because I think it’s that close.’’

Riley told Katz that his demotion to second string wasn't a life sentence, that everything could change "in the blink of an eye''

Riley remembered the hot summer day in which Katz rested a sore arm and Mannion took all of the No. 1 reps.

“He lit it up, absolutely,’’ said Riley of Mannion, who is in a position now to be a four-year starter.

“He is a poised, decisive, accurate quarterback,'' said Riley of the 6-foot-5 Mannion, who will be the youngest QB to start at OSU since Jonathan Smith started as a redshirt freshman vs. Cal on Oct. 31, 1998.

"He’s going to have hard times, too, now,'' cautioned Riley. "He’s a young guy, and if we don’t protect him he’s not the most mobile guy, so we’re going to have to help him all the way around.

"But, I think he won the job.’’

Maybe Katz didn't want to hear it, but Riley talked to him about how fighting through these situations can make him a better player, and perhaps a better person.

“I talked to Ryan about the stories we have here at Oregon State, like the story of Ryan Gunderson,'' said Riley, talking about the school's current assistant director of football operations.

"Ryan Gunderson, bitterly disappointed. Was coming in here as a star out of high school. Local kid. And didn’t win the job when it was his time to win it when Derek (Anderson) was gone,'' said Riley of Gundy, who was all-world coming out of Portland's Central Catholic HS.

Riley noted that Gunderson, who will likely be a terrific coach someday for either OSU or another program, eventually became an OSU team captain.

"And quite honestly I think fighting through that adversity formed a lot of who Ryan Gunderson is today,'' said Riley.

Another example? “Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao. Remember when they were sophomores, and we picked Sean to start? Same thing. Lyle bitterly disappointed. Came out of junior college as a star player, could have gone to Nebraska. Wasn’t the starter. But, and I told this to Ryan, Lyle just kept working, kept a great attitude, became a real advocate for Sean, and when Sean got hurt Lyle came in and won four games at the end of that year.

“I told Ryan, this stuff’s not a life sentence. It can turn around in the blink of an eye and I just encouraged him to be ready and to prepare like he’s starting the games.’’